The Next Big Thing

Gregory Frost tagged me to participate in The Next Big Thing, so….

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing

1. What is the title of your Work in Progress?

The tentative title is The Dreamlord War, but I think that will end up being an overarching title for a series, with this segment being called something else.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

I came up with the main characters and the central concepts of the world one day while I was exercising on the elliptical machine, at my gym, and wrote it down in the locker room before I went home. I would say the idea came out of nowhere, but in fact it amalgamates several things I love to incorporate into my writing: the era surrounding World War One, telepaths, outcasts, and found family. I have no idea how those ideas came together at that moment in the way that they did. That’s how I know it was a good idea!

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Historical fantasy – it’s also an alternate world, to some degree, or you could call it a Secret History, depending on your definition.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

The only thing I’m sure of is that my main villain, Raverat, is Jacqueline Pearce. I don’t normally think in terms of fantasy casting, but Jacqueline Pearce is special!

5. What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?

You can never escape the Dreamlords…at least, not alone.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I intend to go the agency route. Currently, I only electronically self-publish short stories that have already appeared in print.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I’m still writing the first draft. Since the novel is not yet under contract, I am taking my time so I can rediscover what it’s like to work at my own pace, rather rush through draft-to-revised manuscript in nine months. I’m a little more than halfway through, after having been writing for roughly seven months.

8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?

They’re not hugely alike, but maybe Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The influences on this one are pretty clear to me: The Uncanny X-Men, Blake’s 7, Barbara Hambly’s work, and way too much research on the early twentieth century.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s set in an alternate version of Manchester, England, around 1912. I feel there is a sad lack of fantasy about Manchester.

Include the link of who tagged you.

Gregory Frost tagged me.